Self organizing network (SON) functions and Self healing functions are known technologies in the field, of computer networking, architecture. Several different references teach the fundamentals of this field including U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,160 to AbdelAziz et al. entitled “Method and apparatus for self-organizing node groups on a network”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,788,707 to Zhou, entitled “Self-organized network setup”, and US Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0122851 to Gessner et al. entitled “Self-Organizing Communications Network And Method For The Operation Thereof”. Further information can be found in 3GPP TS 32.541 entitled “Telecommunication management; Self-Organizing Networks (SON); Self-healing, concepts and requirements”.
SON and self healing techniques are designed to allow network configuration parameters (CP) to be adjusted in an automated fashion to overcome observed problems in the network. Typically this technique is performed using distributed autonomic computing processes and functions. The status and performance (which will be referred to as Performance Indicators (PI)) of the network (or subnetwork) is measured and observed (either globally or at defined nodes) and the set of CPs is dynamically adjusted to optimize the network and heal or recover from errors. Typically the CPs that are adjusted are done so to achieve certain policy goals set by the network operator.
As the complexity of mobile telecommunication networks increase, the ability of the network to heal around problems in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) based network has become highly desirable. The requirement for SON capabilities in an LTE network is defined 3GPP Release 8 technical specification RS 36.902.
A typical large telecommunication network can consist of network segments from different vendors. A node vendor would provide SON and self healing functions for its segment. Since a network segment connects with multiple other segments, different SON and self healing functions, operating in different segments and without coordination, may be competing for network resources and fail in achieving their individual goals. Each equipment vendor can adjust different configuration parameters, and often the manner in which they are adjusted to address a problem is different. This can result in divergent mechanisms of solving the same problem.
Before the SON and self healing functions can resolve a potential conflict between different segments in a network, it is necessary that they first are able to determine that a conflict is arising, or has occurred.
As noted above, conventionally a SON capability or Self Healing ion (F) monitors the status of the managed nodes and/or networks (or subnetworks), called the System. F then evaluates if the System's status satisfies a given objective or policy goal. When it does not, adjusts the relevant System's parameters. At this point, the cycle of monitoring, evaluating and adjusting begins again. For a variety of different reasons, including efficiency, cost, and being less prone to error, it is preferred by many operators that this cycle be carried out without human operator intervention.
A large System will have multiple Fs active at once. Human operators and various operational and maintenance (OAM) applications, will configure System parameters if necessary, independent of whether Fs active or not.
As noted above, a number of different problems can arise. In the absence of a coordinator, various Fs may attempt to configure a System in conflicting way e.g. various Fs attempts to configure a System parameter using different values). This results in one F modifying parameters that a second F has already adjusted to attempt to solve a problem. In the presence of a coordinator, the various Fs may also attempt to configure a System in conflicting way, if the policy or guidelines given to the Fs have conflicting goals in themselves or that the Fs are not bug-free. The configuration instruction (for parameter adjustment) as calculated by a first F, such as the one for energy saving, can conflict with the configuration instruction issued by another F, such as one that prioritizes healing a network fault. Human operator or OAM applications, managing the System, may issue configuration instruction that conflict with those issued by Fs.
The Fs, human operators and OAM applications described, above can be referred to as “Actors”. If multiple Actors of conflicting goals are used, CP or PI values will oscillate. If one Actor is used, CP or PI values may also oscillate e.g. an F can either overcompensate or under compensate a System CP when F first becomes active; resulting in CP or PI values oscillating). This is a normal situation.
A problem is that operators have no confident way to know if the CP or PI values oscillation is due to Actors of conflicting goals acting on System at once, Actors having bugs or errors, or Actors acting normally.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that obviate or mitigate the above described problems